Monsters
by BuzzCat
Summary: Ruby is guilt-ridden and Archie makes her feel better, discovering something in the process.


The first night it happened, Archie thought nothing of it. He was lying beside his wife at almost two in the morning when he heard her soft sniffling. Barely awake himself, he reached out and snaked his arm around Ruby, pulling her closer. He failed to notice the tears in her eyes. Her sniffling quieted and both were soon asleep.

The next night however, Archie was much more awake. When Ruby sniffled, he pulled her close and turned her to face him,

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, hugging her to him. Ruby buried her face in his nightshrt,

"Why are you with me?" she said in a small voice as her tears soaked his shirt. Archie stroked her hair, trying desperately to come up with an answer.

"Because I love you." he said finally. Ruby looked up at him with her big wet eyes,

"But how could you love me?" she turned away from him and whispered, "I'm a monster." Archie was shocked. He and Ruby had been married almost a year and never before had she said such things. He fiercely turned her to face him. Archie smashed his lips to hers, the kiss powerful and practically angry.

"Ruby Hopper, you listen to me. You are not a monster. You are a victim of circumstance, nothing more. You never asked to be born with this. Your condition is no one's fault." At that, Ruby's tears only flowed faster as she wept and cried into his shirt,

"I am a monster! I've killed people and eaten at them. I left families broken and now I've passed it on to an innocent child and-" Ruby's mouthed clamped shut and her hands flew to her face, trying to keep in words that had already escaped. Archie was silent, motionless. Ruby had bitten a child? But they were always careful to keep the wolf chained and he would have known if she had escaped. He slowly asked,

"Ruby, what happened?" She couldn't look him in the eye as she murmured,

"It was an accident, I promise. I know we always take all the necessary precautions, but we must have missed one somehow..." Ruby trailed off at Archie's blank look. He knew most everyone in Storybrooke. Who had been acting strangely lately? Grace had seemed a little odd the past few times he'd seen her. Henry was looking paler too, though. _Oh God, not Henry,_ he thought. The boy had been through so much.

"Who is it, Ruby? Who got hurt?" he said, pulling her flush against him. Again, Ruby couldn't look up as she said,

"You did." Archie's eyebrows shot up. He was missing something.

"Me? You bit me?" Now Ruby looked up at him, confused,

"What? I didn't bite anybody."

"But you said..."

"I said I passed it on to a child."

"But if you didn't bite anyone, then..." Archie gasped. His hand moved down to her belly, "Here?" Ruby's hand joined his,

"Here." They rested in silence for a moment, their hands joined over their unborn baby.

"When did you know?" whispered Archie. Ruby sighed and mumbled,

"About a month ago."

"A month? You didn't tell me for a month?!" said Archie, trying not to shout. It wasn't working too well. Tears were gathering in Ruby's eyes again but she said nothing. Archie sat back and sighed running a hand over his face, "Ruby, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid of you." Nothing had ever hurt Archie so much. His wife, the woman he loved…He felt the air whoosh from his lungs.

"Afraid of…me?" he asked. Ruby shook her head, tears falling onto her cheeks.

"Afraid of how you'd react. Our baby won't be normal. It'll be like me. A werewolf." She said, her voice quiet. Archie kissed his wife and pulled her close. The fact he scared her still felt like a knife in his gut, but all he could do was try to take away that fear and reassure his beautiful wife.

"Yes, our baby will be like you. Beautiful, confident, and loved." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, nose, and lips with each adjective. Ruby wasn't yet settled.

"But what if…"

"Sweetheart, I don't care if you have puppies. I still love you and I love our baby, no matter what it is." He rubbed his hand on her belly and Ruby smiled a little. She giggled,

"Really?" Archie smiled warmly,

"Really."


End file.
